


Words Instead of Weapons

by Soulstar07



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Conversations, Dialogue, Diplomacy, Gen, Identity Reveal, Mild Blood, Takes place during season one, a chance for Lelouch and the Knights to actually work out their differences, instead of just pulling out weapons and threatening him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21600904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulstar07/pseuds/Soulstar07
Summary: When Lelouch’s identity is revealed through different means, the Knights get the chance to confront him with words rather than weapons.(aka: Lelouch and the Knights get to have a legitimate conversation about his true identity, rather than immediately jumping to violence.)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 214





	Words Instead of Weapons

**Author's Note:**

> I had a few more notes at the beginning of this before, but they were erased for some reason. I’ll try to recreate them.
> 
> I also wanted to post this on Thanksgiving but had some issues. Ah well, it’s up now.
> 
> ——
> 
> I’ve been holding onto this oneshot for quite a while now. I wrote several as a way to ease into writing fan fiction, and this was the third one-shot I wrote before starting on writing “In the Land of the Blind.”
> 
> I think it’s one of my favorites to come out of the several one-shots I wrote.
> 
> I’m still adjusting to being an established fan fiction writer. I’ve been reading fanfic for so long it seems very surreal I’m actually writing them now for other people to enjoy! It’s been a blast, though! No matter how self-indulgent or specific I think my fics are, it seems people enjoy them. It makes me really happy to be able to contribute to the community like this. 
> 
> Now if only I can muster the courage to venture into the one other fandom I’ve thought about writing fanfics for...

_"And now onto the weather today. It is a clear and sunny day, with a high of—" The brunette in charge of the report paused, raising a hand to her earpiece tentatively, her expression furrowing with practiced ease. "It appears that we've received an update to the outcome of the battle between the Black Knights and Britannia! Their leader, Zero...has been captured!" Her expression intensified in a way that almost didn't ring false. "We're receiving a live feed from the Britannian military that they've requested be shown." She gestured to someone off-screen before glancing back to the camera. "Here's footage live from the scene."_

__

_The broadcast cuts to a dark room. There is a chair; Zero is seated in it, head slightly lolling as though he's only just woken up. He jostles his arms and legs but both are bound to the chair securely._

__

_Just off-screen, there is movement. Zero suddenly lifts his head, seeming to come to life._

__

_The soldier steps up behind Zero. The frame of the camera obscures his face, keeping the focus on Zero. The leader struggles against his binds, seeming to have fully realized his situation_. 

__

_"It's time for the world to know who you really are, Zero," the soldier says coldly. "Just a man under that mask. Not a miracle. Not a god." He raises his hands and they hover around Zero's mask. "Just a man."_

__

_Zero frantically begins to speak. "No, you can't—" He glances toward the camera, fully aware of the live broadcast and the grave consequences of it. "No! **No!** "_

__

_But his struggles and denials are in vain. The soldier's hand slip over the sides of the mask, the back forcibly slid up, the mask removed from Zero's face, barely a snippet of his true self visible, when—_

__

_The transmission cuts out, displaying static for a solid twenty seconds before cutting back to the news team. The anchor is slightly flustered. "I am not sure what's going on, just one moment. The transmission seems to have gone offline! As soon as we can obtain a signal again, we will—"_

__

_She's cut off by the return of the transmission. A black haired boy now lounges in the chair, the binds that had once held his arms and legs now discarded on the floor. If one looked to the very bottom left of the frame, one could see the body of a soldier, splayed out. Blood can be seen on the floor and splattered across the boy's face and clothes; a light spray, one from a mutilated artery. His eyes are a purple so pure and ice-cold it stops hearts around the world._

__

_There is a moment, where everything is quiet. The boy regards the camera with smug contempt._

__

_"Good afternoon, citizens of Britannia," he eventually begins, his voice filled with unexpected grandeur. "Now that I have been revealed to you all, I feel a true introduction is in order." The boy stands, bowing deeply to the camera but never letting his gaze leave it. "I am Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th prince of Britannia, and heir to the Imperial Throne." His enrapturing gaze pins his viewers in place. "Nice to meet you," he drawls, a smirk plastered on his face._

__

_The boy—the **prince** —done with his introduction, sits back down in the chair, crossing his legs and resting his head on his left hand, fixing the camera with a disdainful stare. "This may come as a surprise to some of you. Most of you probably assumed I was Japanese. However, you couldn't have been more wrong." His lips quirked in a grin._

__

_He continues in a voice husky with conspiracy, a mere whisper. "Some of you must be wondering my motives, and I'd be pleased to share some of them with you." He places a hand over his heart, clawing at his chest. "The Emperor himself is to blame for my treachery of the Royal Family. He treats every prince and princess as tools to be used and abused, and then thrown away._

__

_"I would not be a part of that cycle. I would not allow him to use up the weak and merely discard them when they ceased to be useful!" He stands up, a righteous gleam in his eye hiding the hunger for vengeance. "The obligation of a ruler is to protect their people. No matter how strong or how weak!" Lelouch shakes his head vigorously, thrusting out the hand that isn't placed delicately over his chest, closing his eyes in supposed sadness. "The Emperor does not serve his people."_

__

_Lelouch opens his eyes, and they themselves look like a weapon. "And so he must be eliminated, by me and my Knights, by the protectors of the weak." Lelouch glares deep into the camera lens, boring a hole through every viewer. "Emperor, I'm coming for you. And I will not stop, I will not hesitate or falter, until you are brought to justice."_

__

_Lelouch gets up, moving closer to the camera to bring the focus on his fierce eyes and determined gaze. "Get ready, Father. The world is going to change. And I'm starting with you."_

__

_The transmission cuts to black_.

——

When Lelouch arrives back at the Black Knights' headquarters, he's nearly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. People are not taking the news in a unanimous way. Some didn't like that he was a prince, some were cursing him for treachery, others supported him, and still others didn't know how to feel. 

He considered a speech but ultimately decided against it. He was addled by pain and morphine—though he'd acted tough for the cameras, the truth was they'd roughed him up prior to the broadcast. He had some broken ribs, everything ached, and during his escape he'd sustained two—luckily nonlethal—gunshot wounds, grazed on his left bicep and hit a little more substantially on his right side. He'd snagged the morphine as a way to be able to continue his escape to the Knights through the pain. 

It was wearing off. 

Not enough, though. His brain was falling asleep, slow and laggy from the drugs and pain. The pain especially, now. He felt like he'd been slammed upside the head with a sledgehammer and his ribs felt much the same. The gunshot wounds throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and occasionally he felt a burst of blood seeping between his fingers where he was clutching his side. He'd never actually been shot before, and he now knew that it hurt like _hell_. 

It took a moment for someone to notice him, standing in the doorway, having just walked in. Kallen saw him first and stomped over to him, her face unreadable as a million emotions crossed it at once. He was glad he'd put his mask back on. The way everyone was beginning to stare at him would've started to feel much too vulnerable without some sort of layer of anonymity between them.

Kallen stepped forward, her eyes stormy. "Zero..." she began, sounding simultaneously lost and angry. "How could you...?"

Lelouch wasn't _trying_ to be cruel, but he couldn't talk to her right then. He shook his head, as strongly as he could muster. He wouldn't show how wounded he was. Untouchable. That's what Zero was supposed to be. "Kallen," he said in a voice that commanded attention. "We'll talk later." 

He moved past her (brushed her off) and grabbed the remote for the TV, turning it to the news. The Emperor's response...it had to be coming... _right_? Lelouch was nearly certain that the Emperor would not be able to resist a reply to Lelouch's blatant threats. A chance to attempt to humiliate his least favorite bargaining chip? _Of course_ he'd take it.

Lelouch was proven right a moment later, as a broadcast from the Emperor himself began, silencing any of the Knights' questions. It had been a solid five hours or so between Lelouch's own announcement and the present time—8:00 on a Friday night—so Lelouch was unsurprised at the timing of the response. It was late enough so that the Emperor hadn't seemed too eager, but soon enough that people were still on their toes, awake and ready for a reply.

"Citizens of Britannia!" the Emperor began in a voice that pierced the heavens with its greatness. "An unauthorized broadcast has swept the nation, delivered by none other than my most unruly child. A prince long since exiled for his treachery against the greatness of Britannia, a childish tantrum that got him severely punished. It seems history is eager to repeat itself.

"Lelouch vi Britannia is attempting to use his noble status to make a statement, but in truth he is merely a naïve child. He understands nothing of strength and weakness, power and discipline, mercy and cruelty." The man's booming voice resonated throughout the room, through the viewers' screens. "He is arrogant. He is foolish. He is the same as he was back when he was punished for that very same arrogance, that very same naïvety. The mask of Zero cannot hide what is underneath—the same childish prince that was exiled 10 years ago.

"He believes himself strong for having garnered so much false support, thinks himself cunning for having manipulated so many to his side. But he does not see the truth: that Britannia is all-powerful compared to his 'resistance', his false words and petty revenge. 

"What Lelouch has always failed to understand is that Britannia is strong, and he is weak. In the face of the strong, the weak will never prevail. That is the nature of the world. Every time, the weak will fall to the strong, and be forced to grovel on their hands and knees. That is the proper place for those who cannot dominate their own fate. 

"Lelouch!" the Emperor boomed, addressing the boy, his voice as inevitable as death. A smile briefly flickered across his face, the kind Lelouch had come to recognize as patronizing. "You still have too much to learn. As you are, you will never stand as a threat to Britannia, and you will never be able to stand against me." His eyes were cold. "Britannia does not fear a mere insignificant runaway prince. Entire nations have crumbled under our iron fist!" When the Emperor fixed the camera lens with his icy stare, Lelouch felt like it was pinning him in place. "One child cannot bring down a mighty empire."

Then the broadcast ended. No 'all hail Britannia'. No closing remarks about the weak and strong or the nature of Britannia. Just some parting words that made Lelouch feel like the scum on the bottom of his shoe. However, this did not serve to defuse Lelouch's anger toward the Emperor. The man had addressed him in the same way he used to—disdainful and apathetic. Void of any emotion. 

Lelouch was stuck in place, staring at the huge screen that was now displaying the news again, his blood seeping through his fingers and onto the chair he was sitting in. Even through his burning anger and petulance at _that man_ , the pain was beginning to override his thoughts. He realized he needed to get up and get to his room so he could examine the damage in peace. He could feel his head starting to feel woozy and weak. How much blood had he lost?

"Zero." Kallen's voice was surprisingly unhindered by emotion, the only hint of it being a slight tremble of her voice. 

All of a sudden Lelouch realized the gravity of his situation, and how thoroughly unequipped he was to deal with it right now. He hadn't planned on sustaining so many injuries and losing so much blood; his thoughts were becoming addled and he could tell he wasn't thinking at an optimal level at all. There was no way he'd be able to explain himself or give a charismatic speech right now. He was on the verge of passing out if he wasn't careful.

 _My only bet is to hope that their curiosity will outweigh any of their suspicions, and that they'll let me recover enough on my own to address them of my own volition as opposed to a mutiny_ , he thought grimly. The real gamble was whether or not the members felt strongly opposed to him being royalty. He was betting on people like Tohdoh and Ohgi being more down to earth and planning on hearing him out. He hoped Kallen would side with him as well. She may not have liked _Lelouch_ , but she had _adored_ Zero.

Lelouch rose from the chair, mentally cursing when he almost lost his balance and was forced to discreetly steady himself with a hand on the tabletop. He hoped it was subtle enough that most of them hadn't noticed. He turned toward Kallen, yet again thanking the mask hiding his pained and overwhelmed expression. 

"You..." Kallen started again, seeming unsure of what she really wanted to say to him. Her mind was surely racing. "You lied to me...to _us_..!"

Lelouch would've rolled his eyes in any other situation. He'd protected his identity, sure, but hadn't he still led them to victory? And clearly she hadn't yet realized that the Emperor had obviously disowned him as an heir to the throne, which implied their hateful relationship and his true motivations (that lined up with the Japanese people's wants). 

He forced his legs forward, even though they felt more like lead bricks. He stopped next to her, tilting his mask down at her. "I assure you, I've done no such thing," he responded, in the most commanding, Zero-like tone he could garner up. He addressed the whole room with his next words, eager to be done with it and retreat back to his quarters. "I will call a meeting to address this issue with you all later. Until then, don't disturb me."

Hoping it was sufficient, he willed his legs into action, keeping his weakness from his step. 

Kallen grasped at his cape, tugging at him. "Wait. You can't just—"

Lelouch's patience was admittedly wearing rather thin. He grabbed her wrist with a hand, even through the way his grazed arm pounded in pain, and removed her fingers from his cape. "Kallen," he murmured sternly. Softer, he whispered directly to her, " _Please_." He hoped she would get the message.

Kallen's eyes clouded, a new emotion flitting over her expression every second. She looked away, lowering her hand to her side before turning on her heel and storming off.

Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away. One other person made out to stop him, but Ohgi put out a hand, shaking his head. Lelouch thanked his lucky stars that his gamble had paid off.

Unhindered, Lelouch half-walked half-stumbled to his quarters, finally lurching out of the elevator to his room and collapsing on the couch. He removed the mask with relief and tossed it beside him on the cushions.

"I see everything didn't quite go as planned." C.C.'s murmur reached him from where she was leaning against the wall, regarding him with cool amber eyes. She held her gaze on his bloodied side, and he tugged his cape over it, glaring at her.

"I don't need you to chastise me."

It took him by surprise when her eyes softened as she shook her head. "That's not what I intend. I'm just here to make sure you're alright. I knew that the Britannians wouldn't have left you unscathed." Again she dropped her gaze down. "You're bleeding all over the couch."

"I'll have it replaced," he waved her off distantly. The matter was of little importance.

She fell silent, allowing him a chance to check over his wounds. He shed the cape and threw it over the side of the couch, rather than hanging it up as he'd usually do. He was a stickler for keeping things tidy—borderline obsessive, he'd been called in the past—but he didn't care enough now to get up. He unbuttoned his outfit, slipping out of the top half to get a glimpse of both his side wound and arm wound. The arm wound was a mere graze, and looked to have stopped bleeding, beginning to clot and scab. The same could not be said of the gunshot to his side. It was aggravated a lot more by movement due to its position on his body, and it was still bleeding heavier than he would've liked. The amount of blood it had left on his outfit and even the couch was certainly worthy of concern. 

Then there was the matter of his fractured—or quite possibly broken—ribs. He knew they hadn't punctured a lung, so that put him in a better position, but with the morphine wearing off, each breath pained him. It was difficult to admit, but he was in an absolutely dreadful state, especially for the powerful, put-together leader of the Black Knights. Even more difficult to admit was that he certainly needed a medic to take a look at him. He'd found a sense of pride in not having needed to resort to doctors, any small wounds he'd ever sustained being something he'd easily been able to treat himself. But these wounds were too much for his medical knowledge and tools. He'd have to turn to someone for help. It was a definite blow to his ego.

"Do I have to drag you to a doctor or are you smart enough to realize you need one?" C.C. asked, echoing his own thoughts, eyebrows raised and a knowing smile on her face.

He looked away in defeat. "I'm not _that_ far gone," he grit out, forcing himself to admit he needed help. "Call up the most trustworthy medical officer we have on site. I can't have it be that I go in for treatment only to be turned on by a medic that's less-than-pleased about the turn of events."

C.C. nodded. "Alright."

——

Lelouch pried his eyes open. His eyelids were extremely heavy; it was immediately obvious to him he was on some (properly-administered) painkillers. He wished he'd had the foresight to tell the nurse to go light on the medication. 

He lifted a leaden arm and grasped at his phone on the table next to the bed. He glared at the time. Nearly noon. He'd slept through over half a day. The Knights were surely getting antsy for an official statement—and explanation—from him.

Gingerly he forced himself to a sitting position. He was in a clean medical bay, off in an isolated room. He only vaguely remembered through the pain-addled haze the trip he'd made with C.C., limping his way over to the medics. He'd requested the help of two qualified medics to treat his wounds. He'd considered using Geass on them to ensure they didn't harm him or spill his location to anyone else, but in the end he decided it was unnecessary. C.C. had chosen both carefully and well. The two medics took their practice very seriously; neither of them would ever harm a patient, no matter how mixed the feelings were. Besides, he got the feeling they were more curious and shocked than angry. 

As a precaution, C.C. was keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't go blab about his location. He didn't want to reveal that he was weakened and barely able to defend himself, should an angry Knight attempt an assault.

He gave himself a once-over. He was still in his outfit, though yet again he'd been slipped out of the top half to access his wounds. Bandages were securely wrapped around both his waist and upper left arm. In the end, he'd only _fractured_ two of his ribs, but the discomfort and mild twinge at each breath made him thankful for the painkillers. It could've been so much worse, if not for them.

His mask and cape were dumped on a bench opposite him. He'd had to redress himself in them in order to make his way over to the medical bay with less resistance. Not that he'd encountered many people. He'd made sure to choose a path that would've skirted around any highly populated areas.

Lelouch raised the phone, scrolling through his contacts, ignoring the dozens of messages left for him in the last twelve hours or so. He dialed C.C.'s number. The phone rang five times before she finally answered. 

"Oh, up already?" 

He narrowed his eyes at her smug, knowing tone. "Not enough for it to matter. I can't go out there yet. Even if I did manage to drag myself up, it wouldn't be smart to get myself into any troubling situations."

"At least you've still got _some_ of your wits about you," C.C. teased. 

He snorted, not rising to the bait. "Tell the nurses to hold off on the stronger painkillers. I want them to have mostly worn off by tonight."

"You plan on giving a speech so soon?" She sounded mildly surprised.

He tapped his fingers thoughtfully. "That depends on how things are looking with the Knights. How's the uproar?"

"Not too bad, for now. Tohdoh and Ohgi have been keeping order."

"Good. I'd expected no less from them."

"Be careful." C.C.'s tone sharpened. "Tohdoh is not going to remain passive forever. Ohgi probably won't take action, but the moment Tohdoh moves, others will follow."

"I know," he replied unhappily. "Has he said anything about confronting me?"

"No, but I don't think he'll wait for too much longer. He doesn't want to give you too much time in case you're scheming."

Lelouch sighed. "I expected as much. That's why I'm going to address them tonight. I don't want them to go on the offensive. As long as I'm the one to initiate the meeting, I get the upper hand." He glanced around the bland room, settling his gaze on his stark black mask. "That's why I need you to make sure I'm at least able to think clearly by tonight. If I don't wake up by nightfall, wake me up, please?"

He could practically _hear_ her eye roll. "Sure. But I get the feeling you'll be regretting going off painkillers so soon. Why not just reveal you were wounded?"

"I probably will," he mused thoughtfully. "But only during the meeting. I reveal too early and it puts me in danger. But during the meeting it can be used in my favor." _Yes. My injuries prove that I'm not on Britannia's side, prince or not. After all, for soldiers to attack a member of the Royal Family_...

"Alright," C.C. finally agreed. "Just...be careful."

He smirked. "If everything goes well, I won't need to."

——

Lelouch awoke to C.C.'s stern voice. "Lelouch, wake up." 

Peeling open his eyes, he was greeting with her amber stare. Weakly he shooed her away. She withdrew, crossing her arms and giving him a look. "Hurry up. I left you some time to run back to your room and get your spare outfit. Unless you plan on wearing that blood soaked thing while you address the Knights?"

Groaning, he ran a hand down his face. " _Thank you_ , C.C.," he said pointedly, without bothering to look at her. Taking a moment to steel himself, he willed himself to sit up, hissing through his teeth at the pain that screamed in his chest and side. 

"Here." C.C. tossed him a pill bottle that he barely managed to catch in time. "Prescription painkillers. Weak, but they should help some."

"Thanks," he muttered, begrudgingly grateful. He dry swallowed two of the pills before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He buttoned up his clothes and threw on the cape and mask, trying not to be too rough. When he was finally ready, he beckoned C.C. along, the two of them hurrying down the halls to his quarters. They managed to avoid any people, much to Lelouch's relief. Now was not the time that he wanted to be dealing with others. Being in pain was lowering his patience threshold. 

He and C.C. exited the elevator into his room, Lelouch immediately heading toward the closet to grab his spare outfit. He changed quickly, a self-imposed time limit ticking down in his head. He addressed C.C. on his way out the door. "Will you be staying here?"

She craned her neck to fix him with her impassive stare. "Yes. Was there something you wanted me to do?"

"Not particularly."

"Good," she immediately replied, and Lelouch stifled down his annoyance.

That conversation over, Lelouch stepped into the elevator and dialed up Kallen. She answered on the first ring. 

"Yes?" She sounded hopeful, eager, and wary all at the same time.

"Kallen, I need you to gather up the Knights and head to the conference room. Take whoever you think is most authorized to be there. I leave it up to your discretion." He hung up before she got a chance to complain. Whatever she had to say, it could wait until the meeting, in person.

The elevator dinged, opening its doors and snapping him out of his head. He stepped out, beginning a crisp walk down to the conference room. This was it. His moment of truth. Sink or swim. 

If he was being honest with himself, he was kind of nervous. Was this a fight strategy could win? After all, this was less about war, more about trust. Something he didn't quite excel at.

He reached the double doors of the conference room. In this air they seemed so much more imposing than usual. Kallen and the others were already inside; this he knew for certain. 

He took a deep breath. In. Out. _Steady_. 

The throbbing in his wounds and chest were distracting, but Lelouch was determined to stick it out. Perhaps the pain would help to keep him grounded. This was going to require all of his wits.

One last calming breath. 

Lelouch stepped forward, the doors opening.

All eyes turned toward him (which wasn't exactly an unfamiliar feeling, but he'd never felt so nervous to be in front of a crowd), following his path as he walked around the table and took his place at the head. Slowly, meticulously, he crossed his legs and interlaced his fingers. "So," he began gingerly, each word plucking the strings of conversation. "Who would like to begin?"

Stunned silence.

Lelouch dragged his eyes over everyone present. Overall, he was rather pleased with the assortment. It was strategically beneficial for him. He had a representative for every sector. Ohgi made a great common man, and he was the earnest soldier, and many Knights still held a lot of respect for him. Kallen was their Ace pilot, and it made obvious sense for her to be present—he'd also called her out anyways. Tohdoh was highly respected, charismatic and intelligent, as well as being the leader of the Holy Swords and past leader of the JLF. It was _necessary_ for him to be present.

He passed over Tamaki. He was the exception to the great spread before him. The useless footsoldier somehow always wormed his way into important meetings like this. At some point Lelouch had stopped trying so hard to stop him, realizing it was futile to try to keep him out.

Diethard was less necessary, but it was fair enough for him to be present. He _was_ Lelouch's main PR manager, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't like the way the man tended to act on his own. Much like any reporter, he was motivated by his own greed for popularity and fame; it was smart to keep a very close eye on him. 

Lelouch sighed. _Probably better to have him here than speculating stories out there. At least here he can get the real story from me_. 

Rakshata...well, she was kind of an odd one out. He figured she had attended due to her own curiosity, rather than any sort of accusation or animosity. She didn't really care much about politics. It was much more likely she just wanted to hear his explanation. But she was his head of his Science Division, so having her there was good for representation.

Finally was the biggest outlier: Kaguya. Lelouch hadn't even considered that Kallen would call on her, or that news of the meeting would reach her. Technically, they'd met before, very briefly, when he'd been staying with the Kururugis. She was now a pseudo representative of the Japanese, with her being the closest relative they could get to the deceased Prime Minister.

The one who finally broke the silence was Kallen, surprisingly. "Why'd you lie to us? To me?" He turned to her, staring quietly at her fierce blue eyes. They burned with emotion—passion, anger, confusion, hurt. 

Lelouch held back a sigh at her words. "I didn't lie; not really. Withholding my identity was the wisest choice of action."

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe the wisest choice for _you_ ," she shot back. "And you lied to my face, about Shinjuku. So don't tell me you didn't lie to me."

"Speaking of lying to our faces," Tohdoh interjected, bringing attention toward him. "Why don't you show us yours." His tone was not exactly an offer. "We don't have a mask to hide behind, and neither should you. If we are to truly talk, we'll do it face to face."

Lelouch tapped his fingers pensively. "An astute assessment," he finally caved. "It's only fair." He raised his hands to his mask. The back clicked and the panels slid upward as his fingers slipped around the faceplate. With two hands, he gripped the sides and removed the helmet, revealing himself to them.

To his left, he heard Kallen's sharp hiss of breath. "It really is _you_ , Lelouch."

He fixed her with a haughty glance. "Oh? Didn't believe what was on TV?"

Somehow she looked more enraged than before. "It's different to see it in person."

Tamaki's loud voice reached his ears, and he barely managed to keep the majority of his disdain out of his gaze as he turned to look at the man. "How the hell old even _are_ you? You're younger than me!"

Kallen's eyes didn't leave Lelouch's face. He felt her gaze burning into the side of his head. "He's seventeen, like me. We're in the same class."

Tamaki scowled. "The dude I respected so much was just a kid? How could I have followed orders from _you_?"

Lelouch held his gaze, level, unflinching. "The same way you accepted Kallen as our most capable Pilot. I fail to see the significance in whether I'm an adult or not."

"His age isn't important," Tohdoh shot back, silencing Tamaki's rowdiness. "What _is_ important is his lineage."

When Diethard spoke, he seemed to be nearly vibrating with stifled excitement. No matter how much he tried to hide it, Lelouch could tell the man was enjoying every second of this debacle. "Yes, I too am interested in knowing how Britannian royalty came to lead a Japanese resistance group."

"I believe I made it quite clear during my announcement," Lelouch replied bluntly. "The Emperor uses his children as bargaining chips, little more than tools, and I was unwilling to be a part of that man's game."

"That's a lie," Kallen interrupted fiercely. She clarified as all eyes turned to her. "Well, at least, it's not all true." She shot him an accusing look. "It's not because _you_ don't want to be used. It's because you don't want _her_ to be."

Lelouch couldn't help but narrow his eyes, sucking in a breath. "Leave her out of it, Kallen." At least Kallen had had the sense to refrain from using Nunnally's name. He didn't need people knowing any more than was necessary about him.

"'Her'?" Diethard echoed quietly, and Lelouch wanted to punch the man in the face. He was treating this all like a game. Like a puzzle to piece together. A puzzle about his life, and all the things he held dear.

"This is also about revenge for your exile, isn't it?" Kaguya's voice, despite being soft and feminine, cut through the conversation with ease, commanding quiet. "About what the Emperor did to you."

Again, Lelouch had been called out. Luckily, that was still within the range of information that he was willing to give, unlike anything about his sister. 

Lelouch kept his voice calm. "This is about more than just petty revenge."

Kaguya frowned, giving him a slight smile. "No, I don't think that's true. You're the type who holds grudges."

"What makes you think you know me so well?" Lelouch stabbed, a bit more sharply than he would've normally been. She was getting too close to things he'd been planning to hold closer to his chest.

"Suzaku told me stories, when we'd talk," she revealed, and Lelouch cursed how quickly he'd lost control of this game.

"I wasn't aware you'd talked," he borderline hissed, his tone quietly dangerous. The tightrope she was walking was a thin one indeed. The one he was walking was even more precarious.

"Back before the war," she replied, ignoring his warning tone. "When we still sometimes saw each other. I saw you, once," she added.

"So I remember," he answered through clenched teeth, fighting through annoyance and panic. She'd turned the tables so quickly, and seemingly accidentally, as well.

"Hold on," Rakshata broke in, the first she'd spoke. "So you're telling me you two already knew each other? And that Zero knew the Kururugi boy?" She cocked her head, brow furrowed. "How exactly does this work out?"

"As Kaguya said," Lelouch began, drumming his fingers, "I was exiled from the homeland. He sent me to Japan as a bargaining chip, a sort of peace offering. I stayed with the Prime Minister during my time in Japan. Soon after, the Emperor declared war and invaded Japan, with no regard to me. He abandoned me, and left me to fend for myself during the war. If that doesn't clearly explain my hate for the Emperor, I don't know what does."

"But you still ain't Japanese!" Tamaki shouted, fixing him with a glare. "Just 'cause you hate the Emperor doesn't make us trust you!"

"Many of you were already aware of my Britannian blood." He gave Tamaki a disdainful glare that could freeze hell over. "Including you, if I remember correctly."

"Bein' Britannian and bein' Britannian royalty are two different things!"

"But the hatred is the same either way," Lelouch countered swiftly. "My sentiments toward the Emperor transcend bloodline. I daresay that my relationship to him strengthens my motivations."

"Let's say, hypothetically, you manage to kill the Emperor." Tohdoh's steely gaze rivaled Lelouch's own. If he wasn't so good at dishing out intimidation, he'd probably have lost to Tohdoh's icy stare. "What would you do with your victory? Take the place of the Emperor?"

"Of course not," he snorted. "I have no desire to take the place of that man. By then, the Britannian Empire would collapse and be no more, the bloodline destroyed. I'd be sure any reasonable successors were eliminated. My goal isn't to lord over the Empire, it's to kill it." His voice hardened a bit. "As long as the Empire exists, it will exploit the weak. Better to end it altogether and usher in a new, better world."

"Those are rather large goals for one man," Diethard commented loosely; through his nonchalance his excitement was palpable. The press were so predictable. Just throw them a good story for them to sink their teeth into and they were sold.

Lelouch smiled. "That's why I have you. To craft my image into something I can use to accomplish my goals."

"You're not a god," Kallen argued. 

He raised his eyebrows in a surely-infuriating show of importance. "Nor did I claim to be."

Rakshata's eyebrows raised. "So essentially, you're only using us as a means to reach your goal. After all, nowhere in there was any pure motivation to help the Japanese."

"Whatever countries I free along the way enjoy early liberation. My end goal will free every country from Britannian grasp anyways."

Ohgi, who had been largely silent, locked his gaze on the table. "So you're saying countries like Japan are just used as they're convenient to you?" he murmured quietly. 

"How harshly unsentimental," Lelouch criticized airily, leaning back in his chair and resting a cheek on his splayed hand. "Just think of it as me assisting the Areas that will contribute the most toward the liberation of more countries."

"Always ready with clever wordplay," Rakshata remarked with a harsh smile. "It's easy to see how you came so far."

"Just because the words changed doesn't mean the meaning did," Kaguya murmured softly to herself.

Lelouch panned his gaze across them all. "What will you all do? Will you discard Zero because of his royal blood?"

Ohgi seemed torn. "It's true that you've helped us. There's no doubt that we wouldn't be where we are without you." He trailed off.

Tamaki butt in. "But he's obviously just like the rest of the royalty! He doesn't really care about us! How can we trust him?"

"He's a liar," Kallen agreed. Some of her spark diminished with her next words, though. "But even so...without him we have no leader."

"I think the choice is obvious." Diethard smirked arrogantly. "Zero is the backbone of the Knights. Without him, you're no different from any other resistance group. His leadership holds this organization together."

"Hey! You Britannian scumbag! This group's more than just Zero's lackeys!" Tamaki bristled, slamming his hands down on the table loudly.

Diethard rolled his eyes. " _Please_. He's the real visionary here. He's become a symbol of the people. It'd be foolish to doubt his importance in this movement."

Lelouch shot Diethard a disapproving look. "Don't undervalue yourselves. Without you all, I am only a vaguely skilled commander with no one to lead." He leaned on his interlocking fingers. "A king with no knights."

"The 'Black Knights'..." Kallen trailed off in realization. 

Lelouch gave her a sly glance from over his shoulder, his mouth quirked in a smirk. "The name has always held many meanings."

The grin slipped off his face as he turned back toward his audience. He was fairly sure in what they would choose, but even so, his heart was beating quicker than usual, and under his gloves his hands were sweaty. Not that anyone would be able to tell by looking at him. "Well? What is your choice? Understand that I'm not going to try to coerce any of you into this. I have no interest in commanding unwilling soldiers."

Ohgi and Tohdoh glanced at each other. 

Lelouch leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "If you'd like to discuss it, that's fine."

Directly to his left, Ohgi leaned in to Tohdoh, murmuring softly. 

Tamaki leaned in from where he sat at Tohdoh's left. "Whatever you guys are talkin' about, I'm gonna be a part of it!" He slammed a fist down on the table. "This decision is one we should all make together!"

It was slightly surprising to hear Tamaki say something mildly intelligent for once. It was definitely a better choice for them to discuss this together rather than allow Ohgi and—more realistically—Tohdoh to make the choice alone. 

Kallen stood up and crossed behind him to reach the private discussion. Kaguya didn't jump in to meet with them, surprisingly; Diethard and Rakshata didn't move, staring impassively, which he'd expected.

He gave them all the time they needed. This discussion time would serve the purpose of giving them a modicum of choice in this situation. He'd dominated this meeting; by allowing them to converse without him, he was conceding a bit of power to them. He hoped they saw it as the peace offering that he meant it to be. After all, it was rather difficult for him to subvert that part of himself that commanded absolute control of the situation.

They took around five minutes of solid discussion to make their choice. He could tell by the fierce whispers that there'd been some tension in the decision. With one final glance at him, their discussion halted. Kallen huffed, crossing her arms before returning to her seat, slumping in it lazily. 

Tohdoh turned to address him, "We've made our decision." He turned to Kaguya briefly. "But before we disclose that, I'd like to make sure I know all of the opinions in the room."

Kaguya pressed her lips into small smile. "I'm for forgiving Zero." Her crisp olive-green eyes rested lightly on Lelouch's own purple ones for the slightest of moments. "I think he's still to be trusted."

Diethard opened his mouth but was cut off by Tamaki. "We already _know_ what _you_ think!" he blabbed loudly. "We mostly were asking for Kaguya."

Rakshata blinked slowly, tilting her head, blond hair cascading down her back. "My, my, don't I get a say?"

Lelouch let out a chuckle. "I think we all know what your answer is already."

Her lips twisted into an amused grin. "Perhaps."

Tohdoh took a calming breath, bringing his attention back to Lelouch. "We've agreed to allow you to maintain your position as Zero."

Lelouch stifled down his triumphant smile, softening it into something slightly less pleased and more relieved. "Very good. I do have some boundaries to lay down with this new relationship."

Tohdoh's eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

Lelouch was waving him off—with his non-wounded arm—before he was able to accuse him of anything. "I said _boundaries_ , not demands. It's all just basic requests."

"Very well," Tohdoh agreed slowly. "What are they?"

Lelouch steepled his fingers. "First and foremost, I will remain as the leader of the Black Knights, complete with all the same powers and privileges I'd previously possessed."

"Wasn't that a given?" Kallen prodded, frowning. 

Lelouch didn't bother to address her. "Next, I'd like to immediately make one thing clear—this change in the nature of our relationship does not extend to the rest of the Knights. I will expect a certain level of distance to be maintained. Should I choose to disclose more personal details to any one of you, I expect it to never be repeated. That includes much of a what's been said in this meeting." He panned across the group, giving his best authoritative stare. "Though you may all have gained a certain new informality with me—which I am not necessarily opposed to—I do not extend that privilege to the rest of the Knights. I will be addressing them tomorrow with a more simplified explanation. With your new knowledge, I hope there will also be a new level of trust between us, which means only disclosing information that I make explicitly clear it is suitable to reveal."

From his peripheral vision he saw Kallen lean in on the table, settling her cheek down on a closed hand. "These 'boundaries' are sounding an awful lot like commands," she grumbled lowly.

Lelouch bit back an annoyed sigh. This meeting was taking all the strength out of him. His aching wounds were sapping both his patience and his unaffected facade. "Technically, these are more like...expectations. We'll be working together on a more intimate level than before, so there are bound to be some new borders drawn."

"So you remain leader like before and no disclosing private information, especially about you," Ohgi reaffirmed quietly. "Anything else?"

Lelouch gave it a moment. "I expect my orders to be followed just as before, without question and especially without any complaints due to my bloodline." His purple eyes were like the shards of a shattered mosaic. "Basically, I expect loyalty. I want to affirm that all of you are not only willing to allow me to remain your leader, but also that you're willing to follow me. Being the leader of the Black Knights means nothing if I've lost your true loyalty."

The silence that followed his words was deafening. Lelouch's eyes narrowed. This certainly wasn't promising. 

"I'll do my best to serve Zero, and the Knights," Kallen finally responded, her eyes burning with stubbornness. "My loyalty towards the cause and defeating Britannia hasn't changed."

Ohgi relaxed, looking a little relieved. "Same here." He nodded at Lelouch. "As long as you continue to get good results, I'll follow."

Rakshata gave Diethard an exasperated look. "Who knew there'd be so much drama around a single meeting?" Diethard merely rolled his eyes and watched the Knights decide. Kaguya watched, not intervening.

"Tohdoh?"

Finally, after deliberating a bit—which Lelouch was nearly certain was partially for effect—the man answered. "As long as you continue to serve the Japanese people's interests, I see no reason for my loyalty to be compromised. Nothing's changed."

Lelouch tried not to let his growing exhaustion seep into his pleased smile. Diplomacy was shockingly taxing. "Excellent. I have one last thing to mention."

Kallen impatiently motioned him to hurry up. He tried not to roll his eyes. "Just so there isn't any confusion, I will not be discarding the mask; not here among the Knights nor out there in the public eye."

"Why not?" Kallen mumbled through her cheek, smushed by her hand where she was leaning on it. "Everybody knows who you are."

"Zero is a symbol, and a powerful one at that. It's about more than who's behind the mask. At this point, Zero is recognizable by the mask. I have no desire to behave differently just because my identity is known. Removal of the mask will diminish some of the distance between me and anyone I come into contact with. The anonymous nature of the mask is good strategically."

Tamaki looked like he didn't quite get it, though he tried to hide it. "Whatever." He slumped back in his seat. He briefly seemed to consider putting his feet up on the table, before apparently thinking better of it. "It doesn't matter to me what you do. Just know I'll never call you 'your highness'."

Lelouch wanted to simultaneously laugh and run a hand down his face at that comment. He did neither of these things. Instead, he gave a civil response. "I don't expect nor desire for anyone to do that."

"Alright," Ohgi began, his tone concluding. "If we're all in agreement of what's gone on here, then I suppose this meeting's over."

"Indeed," Lelouch agreed, trying not to sound too eager to escape this room. Honestly, he wanted to get to his quarters and pass out. The pain of his wounds was very distracting, and he felt unusually tired, most likely also a result of the wounds. "Any questions before we adjourn this session?"

All present shook their heads.

"Good." With that, Lelouch put the mask on, the back-plates sliding down, securing it in place. He heaved himself to his feet, struggling not to wince at the pain the motion caused. It was unexpected, how much worse the pain was after lounging around for twenty minutes in relative stillness and then suddenly moving. He'd barely taken a few steps toward the exit when Kallen stopped him.

"Wait, Lelouch, can we talk?" She blinked up at him from her sitting position. For the first time since his reveal, she didn't seem annoyed at him. 

In thought, he placed a hand over the bottom of the mask like he was cupping his chin. "Ah, that reminds me of one more thing. No addressing me by my name while the mask is on."

Kallen frowned, blue eyes traced with confusion.

Gingerly he smoothed out the front of his outfit, more an absent gesture than a purposeful one. "Again, distance between us. Don't address me so informally unless we're out of the public eye. I have a specific image to uphold." He turned back toward the door. "Kallen, come with me if you'd like to talk in private."

She startled at his sudden authoritative tone. "Ah, alright!" Quickly she stood up, nodding at Ohgi and Tohdoh shortly before following him out of the room.

Lelouch couldn't help but breathe a sigh the moment the door to the conference room was shut behind them. His wounds pained him something fierce while he walked. 

"Is what you'd like to speak to me about appropriate to be discussed out here, or should we speak in my quarters?" he asked, the mask turning its silent stare on her.

"We'd better go to your quarters," she answered, her eyes flicking down to his wounded side for a moment, and he wondered if she'd noticed his signs of injury. 

Lelouch regarded her quietly for a moment, before turning on his heel and leading the way at a brisk walk. "Alright. Come on."

The walk to his quarters felt long and tense. Kallen was not at all talkative, and Lelouch was happy to keep it that way. He wasn't exactly in a chatty mood. He was relieved when they finally stepped out of the elevator and into his quarters. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he passed Kallen by and slumped down on the bloodstained sofa. He gave a low-effort wave for her to take up a seat on the sofa opposite him. Squinting at him, she prowled over to the sofa and sat down.

He saw her eyes dart to the couch cushions he was sitting on, her eyes narrowing. "Blood. So you _are_ wounded," she accused.

He removed the mask before responding. It was oddly stifling. "Yes, I am," he revealed, not too concerned. At least she'd waited until they were alone to start accusing him of hiding his injuries. "I was originally going to reveal I'd been wounded during the meeting, but in the end it wasn't necessary."

"Britannians actually shot you?" Kallen asked incredulously.

Lelouch held back a wince as he leaned back in the cushions. "Exactly my point in why I would've revealed during the meeting. I think it's rather telling that the Britannians were willing to shoot royalty. _They_ clearly see me more as a terrorist leader than a prince." He sniffed petulantly. "It would've made a lovely trump card. After all, wouldn't it have been quite embarrassing for the Knights if _Britannians_ saw me more as Zero than my own subordinates?"

Kallen crossed her legs and put them up on the low coffee table between them. "I mean, can you really blame them? It's not exactly expected for their leader to be a prince from the opposing side. Meanwhile, the Emperor didn't seem too surprised about it all."

"No..." Lelouch hissed venomously, glancing off to the side. "He's not the type. I'm sure he probably expected it, to be honest."

"What exactly did he do to you to get you so angry? I mean, he sent you to Japan and all...but that can't be _it_." 

Lelouch glanced to the side. "During the invasion I witnessed atrocities no one—much less a child—should have to witness. I was on the receiving end of Britannia's violence as they ravaged this country. I didn't matter to him, and my sister even less." His hand tightened into a fist. "Put shortly, I disagree with everything Britannia stands for. The pillaging of the weak, the idea that the whole world is survival of the fittest, the ingrained cruelty and discrimination. It's all _wrong_. And I have to fix it. I _will_ bring down the Emperor."

"We."

Lelouch glanced up sharply. "Hm?"

Kallen kicked her feet off the table, her eyes serious. " _We'll_ take down the Emperor."

This gave him pause for the briefest of moments. Then, his mouth twitched into a smile. "Yes. _We_."

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of assorted notes here!
> 
> \- First little fun fact: when Lelouch introduces himself on the broadcast, I imagined it as him saying "yoroshiku" (a consequence of watching the anime I suppose), which just means "nice to meet you" (what I ended up putting instead). I didn’t put “yoroshiku” because it clearly wouldn’t work in this all English fanfic lol. But it just kinda...doesn't sound right to me as "nice to meet you." In my head I hear "yo-ro-shi-ku" all slow and vaguely menacing and definitely taunting. It's not as cool in English, and it made me sad haha. 
> 
> \- This one's more an Easter egg, but the messages on Lelouch's phone are from the student council. They are...confused and shocked, to say the least.
> 
> \- I toyed with having Kaguya not be present for the whole meeting from the start and instead having her barge in, but in the end I scrapped it cause I just was like "eh".
> 
> -Diethard's such a slimeball, haha. He's always so selfish. On one end, it's fun and relatively easy to write him because his motivations are so plain. He's just an average reporter that wants the biggest scoop. He places himself in a frickin rebellion just to be close to Zero, like come on. It's so selfish and grimy. Perfect for a reporter like him. He's so savage to people. In some ways I like how bluntly self serving he is.
> 
> -I mention that Kaguya and Lelouch have met. I'm just kinda assuming that they've met, logically, at least once, due to her being Suzaku's cousin and part of the Kururugi family/conglomerate (also I believe it's implied/shown in the show once). I like to think most of what she knows about Lelouch would be through her talking with Suzaku occasionally. I wouldn't say she and Suzaku had been close, just that they'd definitely hung out at times, being family and all. Suzaku was a savage child, too. I can't imagine he would pass up a chance to rag on Lelouch, especially about his stubbornness and even his tendency to hold grudges and take things personally. Suzaku would definitely make fun of Lelouch's uppity and relatively pampered nature (because let's face it, Lelouch is arrogant mostly because he's been raised as royalty).
> 
> -Lelouch saying "didn't believe what was on tv?" Was most certainly a reference to twenty one pilots. It didn't start as one but in the end it was one lol
> 
> -This a little fun fact that I couldn't find a way to fit in right: When Zero pushes Kallen away near the beginning, he uses the hand that was holding his wound without thinking. Because his hand was bloody, he actually gets some blood on her wrist and tips her off that he's been wounded. She doesn't bring it up then though, she just leaves to go and stew about it all haha. (This is how she already had a hunch he was wounded though).
> 
> -One final note: this takes place in late R1, which is why Kallen doesn’t already know Lelouch is Zero. I realize I forgot to already mention that, but yeah. I wanted the confrontation to happen when they still had some trust for Zero.


End file.
